


5 times Seraphina and Percival brought their baby to work, and 1 time they didn't

by Pearlislove



Series: Seraphina Picquery/Percival Graves Family series [8]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff for everyone, Seraphina and Percival trying to be domestic, Theseus is nosy, Work place fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-27 12:14:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10020365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pearlislove/pseuds/Pearlislove
Summary: What it says on the tin:  5 times Seraphina Picquery and Percival Graves brought their baby to work, and 1 time they didn't





	

**5 times Seraphina and Percival brought their baby to work and 1 time they didn’t**

 

**1 The one with the British Government representatives (Or: Seraphina doesn't give a rats ass about anyone named Scamander)**

 

Theseus Scamander groaned, stretching out and burying his hands in his arms on the conference table. It was entirely undignified behaviour of course, but considering the Minister of Magic was doing the same in the chair next to him he felt no shame. 

 

It was currently 4 AM back in England and he was stuck in a meeting that was yet to begin half-way across the world, wondering why he even agreed to this.

 

“Coffee Mr.Scamander? The president will be here in a minute.” A peppy blond walks up to him with a cup and a coffee can and he nods at her wordlessly, burying his head once more.

 

Officially, the reason he had agreed to go to god damn America for a meeting was because they needed to negotiate an agreement to have MACUSA help them put a stop to the illegal export of house-elves from England to America.

 

Unofficially, Theseus was just damn curious. He wasn't sure it was going to be worth it in the end, but he had badly wanted to meet Seraphina Picquery, the president of MACUSA since four years now. She was said to be a real force to reckon with, and smoking hot on top of it all.

 

There was also a rumor that she was sleeping with her director of security, Percival Graves, who was an old friend of Theseus’, and he’d be damned if he didn't get himself a look at his best friends conquest. Because, while many doubted it, he was absolutely certain that the rumours were true.

 

Like good old Graves ever settled with anything but the very best the female population had to offer.

 

As Theseus took his first tentative sips of the absolutely divine coffee, the doors to the meeting room opened, and suddenly the Minister of Magic was in an extreme hurry to sit up straight beside him, because entering the room was non other than the president herself.

 

She had chocolate coloured skin and dark eyes and platinum blonde hair that stuck out from underneath a purple headdress. On her extremely feminine body she wore a loose dress in the same colour as the headdress, and even at first sight Theseus couldn’t help but compare her to a goddess, because she was truly beautiful. 

 

If Percival was sleeping with that, Theseus thought, then he’d surely hit the jackpot.

 

“Excuse me, Madame, but is that...your child?” The minister of magic looked confused, and first now did Theseus realise that she was carrying a bundle of blue blankets on her left arm. A child, a baby, her own offspring which she’d brought with her to the meeting.

 

The president flashed a gorgeous smile, sitting down and placing the bundle in her lap instead of her arm. “Why, yes, it is. Her father didn't particularly feel like taking her with him, so I did.” She responded with such a blank look, as though it was the most boring and ordinary thing of all, for her to have brought the baby along with her.

 

“And it won't be a disturbance?” Theseus asked slowly, unsure how to react. The fact that the minister of magic had never been a woman made the whole situation hard for him to put in a context that felt familiar, where he was sure of what was right and wrong. It was also the question of whether or not Percival, if the rumours now were true, were her side job or the father of the baby. 

 

Somehow he had a very hard time imagining the man as a father. But Percival weren’t the kind of man that slept with girl who was already occupied.

 

As if on cue, the tiny baby started wailing, complaining loudly over whatever was not to its satisfaction. Though it was hard to see anything when it was mostly hidden by the table, he saw a pair of tiny fists shooting up into the air, flailing around helplessly and hoping for acknowledgement.

 

“Oh shush. You will get food.” Seraphina immediately told the baby, bringing it up to her chest and slipping a swollen breast out of  the cleavage on her dress, quickly covering it up with the pile of blankets that was her baby. When it was securely settled against her bosom and once more quiet, she looked straight at Theseus.  “The baby will not be an issue. Now, how about the illegal smuggling of house-elf?” She grinned madly, and Theseus almost felt like blushing.

 

This woman, this mother, truly was something extraordinary, and Theseus saluted his old friend for conquering such a masterpiece. 

 

**2 The time with the career girl (Or: Seraphina can't do it, but Tina can)**

 

“Excuse me ma’am.” A shy voice called for Seraphina’s attention, and she immediately came to a stop, freezing mid step as she looked away from her still quite distraught baby to whoever had called for her.

 

A dark haired woman with a serious expression on her face that dressed like an auror was watching her from the door, blushing and looking down into the floor as Seraphina gave her her attention at last.

 

“Yes? What do you want?” She said, trying not to snap at the poor new recruit who was so obviously already ashamed enough for the both of them. Absentmindedly, she rocked her baby in her arms, tired as it still wouldn't stop fussing though nothing was wrong. She’d switched the diaper and cuddled with it and fed it but it didn’t help.

 

“I could help you calm the baby down if you want, ma’am.” The auror now looked up, brown eyes surveying the child in Seraphina’s arms as if analysing the situation and what measures  be taken to fix it.

 

A long silence stretched out, and she tried to figure out what to do. While she didn’t particularly like the idea of showing herself as weak by admitting to being unable to calm down the child, she was out of options on what else to do to calm the baby down and was starting to feel quite distraught herself as a result.

 

“That would be much appreciated.” Seraphina relented at last, letting the girl come over to her and grab the baby into her own arms. With fascination and hesitation, she watched the tough career girl adjust her grip on the bundle of blankets, using two fingers to stroke it's head and whispering words too quiet for the mother to hear.

 

Remarkably, the baby seemed to calm down almost immediately, and the young auror smiled. “Look at that, all better. A baby like this is too pretty to be sad.”

 

Seraphina smiled sadly. “While I'm bound to agree, I am afraid that my attempts at making her happy was fruitless Miss.”

 

“Goldstein.” She smiled, handing the baby back to its mother. “It was a pleasure to help you Madame president. My sister was also a fussy baby, so I know the dilemma.”

 

Seraphina nodded. She had felt that the girl was very maternal, yet it hadn’t seemed as though she had any children. Having taken care of a little sister explained it quite well. “Thank you.”

 

The auror nodded again, turning around and briskly leaving the room, most likely to head back to her apartment, leaving Seraphina alone with the decidedly happy baby.

 

**(Note: Two months later Miss Goldstein  is on a mission and is hit with a misfired, badly executed obliviation charm in the head. The spell is assumed to not have been operational at all; as there are no immediate signs of memory loss found, and she can not herself identify anything missing from memory.  She, however, never did regain the memory of soothing the President's baby in the conference room.)**

 

**3  The time Seraphina was all alone (Or: Seraphina finally gets what she deserve)**

Sighing softly, Seraphina leaned back in her chair, glancing down at the little basket by her leg. It was stuffed with blankets and toys, creating a colourful spectacle for the eyes to fester upon, and in the middle of it all, her little baby child was curled up, fast asleep.

 

From where Seraphina was perched at the edge of her chair, paperwork ignored as she was practically  _ waiting  _ for the next disaster to come running into her office, she could perfectly see every little detail of her child. She could see her strands of platinum blonde hair, tousled from sleep, and the soft creamy skin. A tiny smile and a button nose and, when her eyes were open, dark eyes deeper than the universe itself. They weren’t open very often, for she was a sleepy little baby, but when they were, they were mesmerizing.

 

The baby had gotten the best of everything, blond hair and light skin in a safe and accepted combination for which no one would ever look down on her, but with dark eyes which sharp contrast gave onlookers a feeling of mesmerising beauty.

 

Seraphina sigh softly. It was not often she got this much time to herself, nor this much time alone with her baby. After delivering said baby she had of course been given a so-called ‘maternity leave’, but in truth it had basically been the same work she always did with the exception that she’d been doing it from home, filling up her and sometimes Percival's bed with paperwork at the same time as she tried to tend to the demanding new born.

 

It was exhausting to never really get any time for rest and recovery, but it was worth it for her to have all that she was given, to have a dedicated boyfriend and an adorable little baby. It was everything she ever wanted, and yet she had never imagined that she could have any of it. 

 

It was perfection every way, and she smiled.

  
  


**4 The time it was Percival’s turn to be responsible (Though he really didn't know how)**

 

Percival Graves only had to take three steps into the Auror Office, and immediately everyone stopped what they were doing to stand and stair. Normally so well-behaved and scared of upsetting him, everyone suddenly forgot their manners as they saw what he was carrying. 

 

The majority of them was probably sleep deprived and longing to go home, seeing as it was five in the morning and they were the crew that had been pulling all nighters for the sake of cases, but Grave’s presence seemed to kick them right back awake.

 

He knew it had been a mistake to bring the baby with him down to the Auror Department, but Seraphina had explained she couldn’t  _ possibly  _ bring the child to her next few meetings, it’d be too damaging  (though considering she showed it off to  _ Theseus Scamander _ , maximal damage was already done). Still, what Seraphina wanted, Seraphina got, and if she wanted Percival to bring the baby, then so he did.

 

“What are you looking at? We got work to do!” He snapped, glaring at some of the more intrusive watchers, but it seemed to have little effect.

 

“You’re actually sleeping with someone?” A newbie, a recently hired auror Graves couldn’t be bothered to remember the name of, asked. It took him but a moment to realise his mistake, and he quickly covered his mouth with his hands, eyes widening in fear and surprise.

 

Trying to keep it as subtle as possible, everyone within a five feet radius of the boy took a step back, pretending as though he didn’t exist all together.

 

Percival, not wasting a minute as he saw his chance to return the natural order, stomped over to him, glaring at him with the angriest stare he had. “ _ You _ .” He said, pressuring the word to make it more threatening. “Human resources. For  _ two weeks _ , and if hear as much as a squeak from you when you get back I’m going to give you a  _ permanent  _ placement down there. Understood?” He would never give anyone a permanent placement in Human resources, not even he was that evil, but the boy clearly didn’t know that, so it did the trick.

 

Nodding once and keeping his mouth very much shut, the boy disappeared faster than Percival could say Wizard. Finally, everyone else seemed to get the message and quickly scattered, too, resuming their previously abandoned work.

 

One young Auror drew behind, though. She was young, barely more than a girl, and short, with hair like a hole forest fire. She stood where she’d been left by her peers, staring at the baby with nut brown eyes.

 

Percival was just about to send her to human resources, too, when the baby started fussing, whimpering and flex her tiny limbs in an attempt to break free from Percival's grip, forcing him to give her his full attention. 

 

Bouncing the girl up and down, he was grateful to see that it seemed to calm her down, only to sigh when she started whimpering again as soon as he stopped, quickly evolving to full fetched crying that was once more attracting the information of everyone around him.

 

Not seeing any other option, he started bouncing her again, while quickly moving on towards his office where he could hide out and where the cries wouldn’t be heard as much. 

 

He noted, out of the corner of his eye, that the red haired trainee  was still looking at him, before roughly being pulled aside by someone else. He could only hope that they would inform her of how lucky she was because had he had the time, he  _ would  _ have sent her to human resources.

 

He enter his office, and he lands in his chair, and he dispose of the baby on his desk, wondering what would happen if he ignored it for the next hour until Seraphina came to pick it up, only to immediately regret it.

 

God, he really was a rubbish dad.

 

The baby soon started whining again, and carefully he picked it up. Held it to his chest and rocked it. It didn’t calm down in the slightest, in fact it only seemed to grow increasingly distressed, and he was uncertain what to do. 

 

He needed help, and he needed it badly. Preferably, he’d gone to Porpentina  Goldstein, a recently promoted senior auror that he trusted more than he should. The girl had a little sister, at least three years younger, who worked in wand permit, so she ought to have some experience with babies. 

 

The only problem was that it was her free Sunday when she was for once allowed to stay home. He couldn't imagine what she would say if he turned up asking for parenting advice at her doorstep at six in the morning.

 

“Waaah!” Another sharp cry from the inconsolable baby, and Percival decides he has no choice. It will be a minimum of three hours before Seraphina is available again, and giving her to Nappy at this point would be admitting to everyone involved that he could not fill the role of Ariel’s dad, and there was no way he would do that, his stubbornness wouldn’t allow it.

 

So gathering up his and the baby’s things, off Percival went, heading out of the office after checking Goldstein’s address and heading for the apparition stalls in the basement so he could get there as quickly as possible.

 

**A/N: The story ‘Babies, bosses and Sunday wake up calls’ takes place directly after this part of the fanfic, which can be seen as a small prequel to it.**

 

**5 The time they were both there ( They can have lazy Sunday afternoons, too)**

 

“I can’t do this! One of us is going to have to quit their job!” Seraphina announce dramatically as she lowers herself down into the sofa, with some difficulty lying down on her back with their little baby resting on her chest, happily drinking it's afternoon snack while Percival is making tea in the kitchen. He knows she means nothing by it, just being tired and dramatic as often before, because the thought of either of them resigning is as unlikely as a revocation of Rappaport’s law. 

 

“We’re going to be fine sweetie. That's what we have Nappy for, sleep and relaxation.” He says, his mouth pointing upwards in badly hidden amusement. “Do you want chocolate chip cookies or fruit cake?”

 

Seraphina’s laughter, high pitched and most certainly amused, echoes throughout the flat, and Percival give her a sideways glare, happy that he amused her but not really wanting to admit it 

 

“Fruit cake? Really? And you claim Theseus has no affect on you!” Seraphina replied, still laughing, but stopping short as the baby on her chest started to complain. “I’m sorry, honey, mamma was just amused.” She cooed, hugging the baby closer to her chest.

 

“Chocolate chip it is, then.” Percival sigh fondly, picking out the package of cookies and adding it to the tray with tea, milk and sugar. Grabbing the mentioned tray, Percival turned around and headed out to the living room. “Tea and chocolate chip cookies coming up!” He called out, smiling happily as he was met with nothing but light snoring.

 

His beloved girlfriend had, in the short few moments that passed between her mocking him and him getting what she ordered, managed to fall asleep. Her eyes were closed and she was lightly snoring, hand still subconsciously holding onto the baby who in turn had fallen asleep against her breast, her milk white skin a stark contrast to the copper colour of her mother’s.

 

As quiet as he possibly could, Percival dispose of the brick on the table, and sit down in the arm chair next to the sofa. He was tired and it felt good to get the chance to relax for once, but found himself unable to drift off to sleep, too, no matter how tempting it might be. The sight before him was simply too precious to miss out on by cat napping.

 

He really didn’t need an extra two hours of sleep, it was much more worth it to watch his little family resting with her - no -  _ their  _ child.  It was like watching ghost, a fluttering sensation in his stomach as he thoughts of everything they could have been, had they been normal people. The life they could have had.

 

He doesn’t come much further in his thoughts, though, because the image of Seraphina as a stay at home wife like mostly anyone else at the time is too hard to imagine and the real Seraphina is actually coming back to consciousness over on the couch.

 

Grumbling slightly and trying to shift the baby to make it more comfortable, Seraphina glanced over at Percival with still tired eyes. “Naps? Really? God I must be growing old.” She commented, huffing as the baby was still not comfortable to have on her chest. 

 

“Not old, just beautiful.” Without too much thought, he reach for the child, placing it in his arms and bringing it too him. 

 

“I am happy we had Ariel” It’s sudden, following a few moments of comfortable silence, and Percival can't help but look up at her, a bit surprised. Somewhere in the back of his mind he could still hear her shouted threat of  _ I’m going to kill you for this Percival!  _ From when he’d first found out about their predicament. It hadn’t been an ideal situation, and he’d half expected her to cut him off completely, going back to  a strictly professional relationship.

 

Only she didn’t. 

 

They had kept letting their love blossom, and now, at last, they had been blessed with  _ this _ . With sitting in a sunny apartment on a sunday afternoon with a baby in his arms and the love of his life lying on the couch beside him. There is even cold tea and untouched biscuits on a tray on the table.

 

Seraphina and Percival look at each other, and for the first time in a long while, they felt a feeling so estranged to them and yet so comforting. The feeling of  _ home _ .

 

**6 The time they left the baby at home (Really, Nappy got this)**

  
  
  


“Seraphina, I can’t bring the baby!” Percival protested, angry and irritated as he’d been fighting over  _ their  _ baby with Seraphina for no less than fifteen minutes already. Normally, he wouldn’t have put up too much of a protest for being tasked with the child, but he had an important meeting and simply couldn’t bring her along. He couldn’t.

 

“Well, neither can I! You know the Vice president hate me! He’ll use it against me if I show up with baby at the meeting, I'm sure!” Seraphina protested, gesture towards the room where their child slept. “I’m not leaving her all alone!”

 

Seraphina stared coldly at Percival, and Percival stared back just as coldly, both of them angry and stubborn and intent on not giving up, not ever.

 

After several moments of staring that was yet to have any effect on the current situation, Seraphina felt something tugging at her skirt, pulling at the fabric in an attempts to catch her attention.

 

“Mistress?” Nappy looked at Seraphina, having heard her and the Misters conversation. “I can look after the baby ma’am.” Though they had let Nappy handle the baby at times, she would not mind full-time responsibility as she had done Seraphina and her younger sister once -it was, after all, what she was supposed to do - but they seemed insistent to fight over who brought her with them instead.

 

“It’s a good idea, Phina.” Percival agreed relieved that he didn’t have to handle the baby, and wondering why the two of them hadn’t thought of it in the first place.

 

Seraphina looked at Nappy with a vary sort of look, knowing that she could handle it but feeling unwilling to leave her baby alone for such a long time. Maybe it was just her mother’s instincts, but it felt wrong. “Alright.” She finally relented, too, handing the baby over before heading out the door without another word. She knew that if she stayed there a moment more she’d regret it and go back to bring the baby with her to their meeting regardless of the consequences.

 

Watching Seraphina hand off the baby and head out the door, Percival sigh, deciding that he should get a move on too. “Sure your going to be fine, Nappy?” He threw one last look at the house-elf as he headed out, and the little elf nodded. 

 

“I’ll be fine, Mister. Nappy got this.” Nappy found the question redundant, seeing as this was the third child put in her care, but answered the question politely. A house elf had no right to question the questions of her Mister and Mistress , especially not if they were as good as hers.

 

Watching her mistress man head out the door too, Nappy quietly sat down on the floor in the hallway, placing the little baby in her lap as she quietly proceeded to rock back and forth, using her own body as a cradle as she tried to keep the baby calm and happy - as calm and happy as she felt.

 

Nappy loved babies, and loved caring for them. It had been such a long time since she’d had one, though, and for the longest time she had feared never getting to care for another one. But then her mistress had come with her baby, and Nappy could practically feel herself swelling with joy over what was to be - she was going to be long to  a proper family again!

 

Picking up the baby and holding it close to her bony chest, she smiled. “Thank you, Miss Baby. Thank you for making Nappy happy again.” 

 


End file.
